Everyone in this world is an addict. whether of bad symbols in society like cigarette, drinking, sleeping or nice symbols like travelling, body building or singing.......everyone does have a addiction. Just in the same way we are here to find out the addict of Cinema because an addict recognizes another addict in first sight. This blog is dedicated to those who most fascinated by silver screen than anything in the world.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Throwing down the Gauntlets - our documentary

We shot a documentary in Allahabad on a unique tradition known as the tradition of Maharajin Bua last month in Manaiya village, a village about 25 kms from district headquarter. Two girls are here working as a female cremator...I also made a news which was published in several newspapers and attracted a lot of curiousity.. by.here are some pics during the shoot. Pre-production work is over and the editing would be completed in last of the June in Delhi. After the post-production work, the doc would be ready by the mid of July..thx to Vivek, Rajesh ji, Kailash ji, Praveen and people of Manaiya for all the support.

Maharajin Bua's tradition gets two successorsAllahabad, May 15. The tradition of Maharajin Bua, probably thefirst female cremator of India, who defied the orthodox values ofthe tradition, has got two successors in her city.Gulab Tiwari, popularly know as Maharajin Bua, who took up theprofession of cremator about 50 years ago on the bank of riverGanga, invited several criticism as in Hindu tradition, it isnot regarded as an auspicious step for women to go to the cremationground 'ghat'. Throwing down the gauntlets to society, Maharajin Bua acceptedher traditional work as her way of earning bread and butter for herfamily and not only accepted but also glorified this work with herpresence and attracted media and researchers from all over the worldto the Rasoolabad ghat (cremation ground) of the Sangam city.Several news agencies, news papers and news channels covered thestory of Maharajin Bua and published/ telecasted it as a tale ofvictory of struggle over the hurdles.After her demise few years back, it was believed that hertradition was ended with her demise but two girls have belied the belief.Manaiya, 50 kilometers away from district headquarters, is thevillage of Reshma (17) and Kaushalya (18), who have opted theirprofessional business of cremator as their profession and feel proudin this work.Kaushalya told that she started this work due to the dismalfinancial condition of the home.''When my brother went out of the home for earning and fatherfell ill, I had to take the responsibility of the house as a malechild and I decided to take cremation as my profession,'' Kaushalya says.''I do not think there is any problem, I do this work as myfather did. If males can do this why can't we,'' she asks indicating Reshma.Reshma also started the work due to the adverse financialcondition of her home.''When we started this work our friends would made our fun butsoon they realised that this is our way to earn our bread andbutter,'' Reshma adds.Reshma and Kaushlya completed their studies till standard sixthand eight respectively but compelled to leave the school as theirfamilies were not able to teach them.Central and state government has initiated several schemes forpoor, girls and backwards but the advantage of such schemes seldomreach to the right candidate. These girls never heard the name ofMahatma Gandhi National Rural employment guarantee Act (MNREGA) andKaushlya's father Radhe Shyam Verma does not understand what a jobcard stands for.Kaushalya's father told that he once worked on a pond digging butdid not get the full payment by 'pradhan' so far.''When we started this work, this was a new experience for thepeople. Several people, came with the body, used to deny to get thelast rites performed by the girls but now situation is not sodifficult,'' Reshma adds.When asked about the income, they says it depends upon the typeof the dead body.''If any oldies has died, we ask Rs 50 but if there is a death ofany young person, we are paid Rs 11 or Rs 21 and we do not force topay them more,'' the girls say.These girls are not aware of Maharajin Bua, though Kaushalya saysshe has heard the name.''Some people take this name when see us performing the lastrites. She might be a cremator like us,'' says Kaushalya.These girls are doing this work merely for their bread and butterbut they do not know that they are changing an orthodox traditionand carrying the flame of the tradition which Maharajin Bua burnt.A famous quote says 'big changes occur slowly' which seemscompletely being implemented here.

i would love to c the documentry......abhi to itna hi kahoongi ki life me junoon ka hona bahut zaruri hai.......what u want frm life, if u have passaion for it then certainlly u will get it......keep moving......

To put forth the real face of marginalised and untouched section of society is the main pupose of education and creativity . U people are doing the same thing .

there are lots of things which is unexplored by the mainstream media. may be just because the effect of market and consumerism.

i am eagerly waiting for this documentry . it would be very intresting to see that how the hypocratic traditinal values crumbling day by day in the outskirt of the so called cultural heritage cities like prayag and kashi.